


Lightning and Fire

by Smilegirl64



Series: Misadventures of the Hero Sides [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Conflicting Feelings, Cute, Fluff, Hero Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Hero/Villain Alternate Universe, M/M, Roman is a cuddlebug, Roman is fluffy, Villain Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Villain Redemption, Virgil has a soft side, Virgil is touch starved, Virgil's lair is cold, but there's not much villainy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:49:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29546790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smilegirl64/pseuds/Smilegirl64
Summary: Burning Prince always viewed Anxiety as a purely negative force, but after an interaction involving a cape, he begins to question that view.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders
Series: Misadventures of the Hero Sides [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2200842
Comments: 14
Kudos: 67





	1. Cape

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt used:
> 
> https://www.google.com/search?q=cute+fanfic+prompts&authuser=1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiDzr3HyvTuAhXLpZ4KHcm4BukQ_AUoAXoECBcQAw&biw=1280&bih=610#imgrc=iWtgYxpvagGYZM

Anxiety, or Virgilious Storm, was in the midst of the greatest day of his life. He had finally captured the hero of the city, Burning Prince, otherwise known as Roman Prince. He always wondered why he had chosen a hero name with his last name in it. That made it so easy for people to discover his identity! Whatever, it didn't matter now that he had been defeated. He entered the cell he had Roman contained in, locking it behind him. "So, you must feel so disappointed in yourself," he said, slipping off one of his black gloves as he began his schpiel. "Your city is in ruins, You're-" he cut off mid-sentence, his glove dangling from his pale hand. "You're wearing my cape."  
  
Completely wrapped up in the thick garment, only his head visible, Roman glared up at the villain, his eyes slightly narrowed in a defiant and admittedly adorable pout. "It's cold here and you just left it in reach," he turned his head away in a manner that made Virgil think he was about to stick his tongue out at him. "If you weren't so focused on that evil persona of yours and actually heated your lair, perhaps I wouldn't have resorted to thievery."  
  
"You look adorable," Virgil forced anger into his voice, his cheeks dusting red. But really, how could he be angry? Roman looked so adorable and cute and perfect. A smirk crept across Roman's face. "You think I'm cute~" his voice was teasing as a finger emerged from the bundle of fabric, pointing at Virgil. The villain blushed more. "Shut up, Flame." Roman's smirk grew. "Aww, you made a nickname for me, Hot Topic? How sweet."  
  
Virgil lifted a hand to hide a smile that was pulling at his lips without his permission. He slowly lowered it, revealing his signature villainous smirk. "Aw, you think I'm hot." Roman's face turned scarlet in a matter of seconds. How dare this villain steal _his_ flirtatious schtick? He hid his face in the cloak. "No faaaiiir!" he whined like a petulant child, his voice muffled by the purple cape. Virgil chuckled. "Sarcastic teasing's my thing, not yours." Roman let out a childish grumble. "Is not!" Vigil bit his tongue to hold back a laugh.  
  
Meanwhile, Roman was planning vengeance from within the cape. He scooched to Virgil, wrapping his arms around the man's leg. Before Virgil realized what was happening, Roman pulled him into a sitting position, causing him to yell out as he fell onto his butt. Roman wrapped his arms around him, much to his chagrin. "What is the meaning of this?" Roman looked up at him. "Revenge for stealing my flirts." Virgil hid the smile on his face as he unintentionally leaned on Roman. The hero noticed this action and took advantage of it. He pulled on the man, putting him in his lap. Virgil was significantly smaller than Roman, with the hero standing at 6'2 while the villain was a mere 5'3, which made him susceptible to being pulled on and dragged. He was about to complain about being treated in such a humiliating way...when Roman began scratching behind his ears. He involuntarily relaxed. How was he supposed to resist it when it felt so good? He let his guard down, a purr escaping his lips. He slapped a hand over his mouth, turning bright red. Unfortunately, it was too late as Roman had heard. He stopped, a smirk spreading across his face as he raised an eyebrow. "You...purr?" Virgil scowled, nodding hesitantly. Roman chuckled, resuming the action. Virgil tried to resist leaning into his touch, but it was no use. Roman had already found his weak spot and he was gonna attack it relentlessly until Virgil purred loud enough for the whole city to hear.  
  
Virgil slowly released the tension in his shoulders, involuntarily purring. Roman smirked, satisfied. He slowed to a stop, having had enough. Part of Virgil was glad it had stopped, while another was slightly disappointed that the joy had ended...or so he thought. Roman wrapped his arms around Virgil, holding him against his chest. He noticed the lack of tension in his back, causing his smirk to morph into a smile. "How tense were you?" Virgil perked up, surprised by the question. "Pretty damn tense. Did you think someone who gives people anxiety would be easy going?" Roman's smile melted into a concerned, thoughtful expression. "No, I suppose not." He shook his head. Why was he giving this villain his sympathy? The answer came to him quickly: because seeing him relaxed and calm made him feel... _good_. He didn't understand why, it just did. He sighed softly to himself, unable to resist the gentle smile that pulled at his lips.  
  
Virgilious didn't get it. Roman was his enemy, someone to be defeated. So, _why?_ Why did he feel so comfortable in the man's arms? Why did he let him expose his weak spot? Why did he let him stay bundled up in his cape? He put his head in his hands, trying to find a reason. One eventually came to his mind, one that he never wanted to accept. It made no sense in his mind, it shouldn't.  
  
_How could he like the man he was supposed to despise_ _?_  
  
He sighed, trying to push the thought out of his mind, but it stubbornly stayed, like many of his thoughts did. He didn't want to accept it, but...what other choice could he have? Settle for options that made even less sense than this one? He rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes. Roman raised an eyebrow. "Anx?" Virgil jumped, startled. Roman looked at him, his eyes gentle and tired. "What's up?" Virgil exhaled sharply. "Just...thinking." Roman pursed his lips. "You're leaving something out." Virgil put his face in his hands. "I don't know, Princey, I just..." he grumbled. Roman tightened his grip. "You don't...need to..." he yawned. Virgil looked at him from over his shoulder, yawning a bit himself. "Tired?" Roman nodded in affirmation, yawning again. Virgil had half in mind to leave, but tiredness kept him in place and allowed him to lean against Roman. He expected a flirtatious remark, but Roman had already fallen asleep. A smile pulled at his lips as his eyes slipped shut, leaving it only as a matter of time before he fell asleep in the hero's arms.


	2. Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman overhears Virgil singing and starts having second thoughts

Roman shifted gently, his eyes fluttering open. He looked down at himself. The cape was no longer there, instead replaced by a soft blanket. He smiled a bit, tying it around his neck like a cape, mimicking Virgil's. He stood up, walking as close to the door as his chains would allow. It was quiet, peacefully so. He listened to the silence for a few moments...  
  
Until it was broken by a voice outside. It was Virgil's but...it was different. It was melodic and soft, much like when he was speaking to him while he was in a state of exhaustion. It was still gruff, but it had a vulnerable quality to it, one that he had never heard before this moment. It took him a moment to realize that Virgil was singing. It was hard to tell what he was saying, so he strained his ears to try to figure it out. Virgil approached, making it easier to decipher the words.  
  
  
_"We live in cities you'll never see on screen...  
  
__Not very pretty but we sure know how to run things..."_  
  
  
Roman smiled, recognizing the song. It was definitely one he could hear him singing. His cheeks dusted pink as he listened in. His voice was actually really attractive. It had a soft quality that made it good for singing that kind of song. Unlike his voice, which was naturally very bombastic, making it better for other songs. His blush increased as he imagined teaching Virgil how to sing, talking, laughing, exchanging banter...maybe he could teach him to be better, and-  
  
He shook his head vigorously, trying to get those fantasies out of his head. What was he thinking? He could never teach that villain to be good! At least, that's what everyone told him. The young puffball...  
  
_"Get out there and beat that villain, kiddo!"_  
  
The proper nerd...  
  
_"He has the potential to destroy the town square with those lightning attacks of his. He must be stopped."_  
  
The sassy man with sunglasses...  
  
_"Look, if you don't deal with him, everything's gonna go bats**t, okay, Babes?"_  
  
The one with the cartoon obsession...  
  
_"It's gonna look like the hand ship crash-landed here!"_  
  
All of them always told him that Anxiety could never be saved, that he needed to be stopped by someone like him, but...did he? He always thought Virgil would hurt him if and when he was captured, so he planned to be defiant and eventually escape, but he wasn't like that at all. Cold perhaps, but certainly not cruel. He even showed him some semblance of kindness with the blanket. He rubbed the soft materials in his fingers, looking down at it. Were they all...wrong? They had all been wrong before. Even the nerd had had his fair share of mistakes. So maybe, just maybe, they were wrong about Virgil too.  
  
He snapped out of his thoughts as the door opened. He looked up as Virgil entered, his cape returned to its place on his shoulders. He seemed to notice Roman's thoughtful expression. "You thinkin' about your friends, Princey?" Roman shrugged. "You could say that..." They stood in that silence for a moment. He never thought he would like silence. He had always heard it described with negative words: Defeaning, deadly, even just the common awkward silence. But this silence was different. This silence was calm, comfortable, almost comforting strangely. He tried to find a word to describe it. It took a moment before he found a word that fit. It was a word he would've never dared to use to describe anything related to Virgil, a word that he had rarely heard these days, a word he always looked to create a need for, but the villain had somehow done it for him.  
  
_Safe.  
  
_This silence felt _safe_.  
  
It left him with confusing feelings. He was puzzled as to why he felt this way around Virgil of all people, but, strangely, it made sense. Virgil had never hurt him to his knowledge and...had he been vulnerable with him that night? He sighed, the soft exhale breaking the silence. "I heard you singing." And just like that, Anxiety's pale complexion turned red. "Y-you what?!" Some semblance of fear entered his eyes. Roman frowned a bit at that. "Yes, it was..." he trailed off as he heard Virgil's breathing becoming heavier and heavier, each chance for safe silence stolen away by a panicked breath. Roman tried to come closer, but his chains prevented it. "Stormcloud!" Virgil looked up at him, horror in his eyes. He tried to focus and help. He had heard the nerd talking about doing this a few times. It was strange, but it could work. "Virgil, name five things you can see!" Virgil's eyes widened in some kind of realization. He looked around. "Y-you...m-my hands...t-the floor...c-chains...w-window..." Roman nodded. What was the next one? "Good, now four things you can feel!" Virgil took a deep breath. "C-cold..." he put his hands on his head. "H-hair..." he ran his than down his arm. "Clothes..." He walked over to Roman, cupping his cheek. "You..." Roman blushed, nodding. "Three things you can hear." Virgil nodded. "Me, you..." he paused, listening. "Silence..." Roman nodded, smiling a bit at the mention of the silence. "Two things you can smell." Virgil sniffed. "Must, you..." Roman blushed more, nodding. "One thing you can taste." Virgil paused. "Coffee."  
  
Roman nodded, standing in the silence for a moment. Virgil looked at him, head tilted to the side in curiosity. "Why'd you help me?" his tone didn't have its usual bite. Instead, it held the soft vulnerability it had earlier. Roman looked at his face, but not his eyes. "I couldn't just watch you panic like that. I had to!" Virgil chuckled bitterly. "You _had_ to. You just have to help everyone, don't you? Don't you?!" Roman winced at the volume shift, but could tell by his tone that there was no malice. He was just lashing out. He should know, he had heard it many times, from the nerd and himself. Roman's expression was soft and determined as he watched Virgil's face into that of confusion and...was that desperation in his eyes? He stood there in the calm silence for a second, letting it soothe Virgil.  
  
"Because I care about you."  
  
The words cut through the silence, but not violently. They held a certain softness to them, like someone attempting to soothe another. He tried to come closer, but his chains prevented it, resulting in a soft clinking. Virgil processed the words. "Why? No one in your little group cares about me, except maybe the blue one. Everyone says I'm evil, you have to stop me. But when something like that happens, you _stop_ it? Why?" Roman stood there, trying to think of a good answer. The answer was that, well, he didn't really have one. At least not one that could justify it with any kind of known logic. But then again, since when did he know anything about logic? Love was his thing.  
  
Wait...  
  
_Love?_  
  
Somehow, someway, that answer made complete sense, but didn't at the same time. But...it was the only answer that made sense at all. But, despite that, he didn't say anything. He didn't think Virgil returned his feelings. Hell, he didn't even know if the beautiful man was gay! He stayed in the silence, looking away from Virgil so he didn't see his tears. Virgil sighed, leaving the room and closing the door behind him and leaving Roman behind in the safe, yet uncertain silence.


	3. Chains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman had been sitting in silence for a bit, only to have Virgil arrive with a surprise.

It had been about a week since their last major interaction and they hadn't talked very much. It had mainly just been that comfortable silence he was getting used to. He fiddled with his chains, tugging at them and twirling them around his fingers. His mind started to drift off into daydreaming when the door opened. Virgil walked in. He looked a little nervous, his hands shoved into his pockets. Roman stood, walking as close to Virgil as he could. "Virgil? Is something wrong?" The villain exhaled softly, looking up at him. He took his hands out of his pockets, revealing a golden key in his left hand. Roman tilted his head to the side before realization flashed through his emerald green eyes. He looked into Virgil's ocean blue ones, minor confusion on his face. Virgil stayed quiet as he put the key into the hole in Roman's left shackle. He unlocked it with a soft click before moving onto the next one, the shackles carelessly clattering to the ground as Roman rubbed his wrists. "Why?" The question left Roman's lips, only to receive no response. Virgil left the room, leaving the door unlocked.  
  
Roman stood there in his confusion, looking at the ground. Was this a test? Did Virgil expect him to stay there? What would happen if he left? Would he do something? Let him go? He looked up as the door creaked open again. Virgil poked his head into the room, a sarcastic smirk pulling at his lips. "The hell are you waiting for, dumba**? Follow me." Roman's eyes widened a bit, though he wasn't entirely surprised. He walked over to the door as Virgil moved out of the way, letting him leave and walk behind him.  
  
Virgil wasn't entirely sure why he did that. He knew every other villain in history would be scolding him for his actions. Why would he let his prisoner free? He could escape! But that was just it, wasn't it? He _could_ escape, but _would_ he? Something in his head gave him an answer. He didn't know what it was, he just knew it was there.  
  
_"No, he wouldn't."_  
  
Why wouldn't he? He didn't know. There were a lot of things he didn't know. He knew firsthand that he wasn't exactly a beacon of truth due to his history of being wrong. But...was he wrong to do this? Was he right to let his prisoner go free and risk him escaping? Normally, he would say "No, absolutely not." He even told himself he wouldn't when he first captured Roman. _"Lock him up and throw away the key,"_ he told himself. _"That's what a real villain would do."_  
  
  
_Real villain._ What did that even mean? All his life he had looked up to villains, thought they were graceful and powerful, that heroes were too caught up in their egos to be _good._ But then again, what did he know about good? He was a villain: graceful, powerful, **evil**. But was he really evil? If he really was, he wouldn't be doing this. If he hated Roman, he wouldn't be doing this. Wait... _did he hate Roman_ _?  
  
  
_He had always thought he did. He had always heard the threats of Roman going after him. Not directly to his face, but in whispers in the crowd when the-  
  
"Virgil?"  
  
A voice pulled him out of his thoughts. It was Roman, who was holding his arm. He was so lost in thought, he had almost crashed into a door. He stepped back, sighing. "Thanks, Princey. Just in time for me to almost crash into your room." Roman tilted his head to the side, letting go of Virgil, who chuckled as he painted a smirk on his face. "What, did you think I was just gonna let you go? What do you think I am, an idiot?" Roman snorted. "Says the guy who took me out of my cell." Virgil rolled his eyes, punching him in the arm. "Shut up, Flame." Roman paused. That was the first time Virgil had done anything that would even be perceived as violence, and even then it didn't even seem malicious. It was more playful, teasing. He pulled the door open, revealing a guest bedroom. It was rickety, much like the entire house, but it had a bed and desk that were in decent condition. He walked over to the bed, sitting down as he began to daydream again.


	4. Painting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman's finding his room a little drab when Virgil hits him with the lightning of inspiration.

Roman stared blankly at his walls. They were just so...drab! The wooden walls weren't as bad as concrete, of course, but it was still pretty bad. He groaned in frustration as he flopped onto his bed. He turned his head to the door as it opened, a pout on his face. Virgil entered, closing the door behind him, but he looked different, and those differences were...concerning, to say the least. He sat up quickly at the sight of Virgil covered in a red substance, an apron there to protect his clothes. Upon seeing his terror, Virgil rolled his eyes. "Calm down Princey, I didn't murder anyone. It's just paint." Roman raised an eyebrow. "I never took you as a painter." Virgil smirked wryly. "What, did you think I didn't have any hobbies other than villainy?" Roman shook his head. "No, no, I just always thought of you like a pencil kind of guy."  
  
Virgil's smirk melted away. He was caught off guard, unable to hold back his confused "what?" Roman moved to the edge of the bed, mirroring the smirk Virgil held not moments before. "What, did you think I didn't think of you as a person?" Virgil stood in the silence for a moment. "Touche." Roman got off the bed. "So, what paints do you use?" He looked at the walls as Virgil took off his apron. "Acrylics." Roman nodded, his eyes glimmering with an idea. Virgil recognized that face and sighed. "Oh boy, what're you thinking?" Roman's expression shifted to a thoughtful smirk. "I think these walls are a bit, well, boring. What do you say we spice 'em up a bit?" Virgil thought about it for a moment before leaving, returning quickly with everything needed to paint the walls. "When do we start?" He forced his expression to stay a smirk, but it wasn't hard for Roman to miss the glimmer in his eyes. He chuckled, grabbing the tape. He put it on the tops of the walls to protect the ceiling, while Virgil did the bottom. They opened the buckets and began to paint.  
  
As they worked on the walls, Roman's mind began to wander. Why _was_ he supposed to fight this guy? Everyone said he was evil, but everything he'd experienced told him that he wasn't, or at least he wasn't as bad as everyone said. "What did he even do?" he muttered under his breath. Virgil looked away from the wall at Roman. "What was that?" Roman looked at him, shaking his head a bit. "Oh, I was just wondering what you did to make everyone hate you."  
  
Virgil let out a long sigh. Of course. "Well, if you really wanna know, I'm not even sure." Roman tilted his head to the side. Virgil turned back to his wall, resuming his painting as he spoke. "Well, I didn't do anything _that_ bad. All I really did was harass a couple of people. And make a storm." Roman paused, considering what was said. "Everyone told you would tear up the town square." Virgil raised an eyebrow as his eyes widened. "Why the hell would I do that?!" He raised his arms, his voice holding the incredulous lilt of being offended. Roman shrugged. "I don't know, that's just what they said." He then paused. _Virgil_ hadn't caused much damage, but what about _him?_ He always tried to help people, but...  
  
His expression shifted into a thoughtful frown as he considered this. There were many points where he was trying to stop villains with his flames and ended up almost burning houses down, including the puffballs. He wasn't angry, but he could've done some serious damage. And there was that time where he accidentally evaporated the city's reservoir. _And_ the time he accidentally gave a bystander third-degree burns. He sighed, turning back to the wall. He resumed painting, but he seemed to just be painting the same place as if he weren't paying attention. Virgil looked at him, a little concerned. "Princey? You...good?" Roman stopped and shrugged. "I don't know. I feel like I was hit by...a realization." Virgil tilted his head to the side, curious. "Oh? What's that?"  
  
Roman tried to think of a good way to phrase it but was struggling. He then got an idea. "Got any instruments in here?" Virgil raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, an acoustic guitar," he spoke hesitantly. "Why?" Roman stopped painting, putting the brush on a paper towel. "Can I borrow it? It'll help me explain." Virgil nodded confusedly, retrieving it and giving it to Roman. He tuned it and cleared his throat. He began to sing and play, hitting the guitar for percussion between strums.  
  
_"What if the bad guy wasn't the bad guy?  
  
__What if the hero wasn't really good?  
  
What if the damsel in distress was living his life  
  
And they took him away from the one he loved?  
  
And what if prince charming poisoned sleeping beauty  
  
'Cause she rejected him a moment before?  
  
What if fairytales don't have happy endings?  
  
What if they end up in war?  
  
War..."  
  
  
_He set the guitar aside, leaving them in silence again. Virgil processed what was said, suddenly blushing. "Wait, what was that third line?" Roman blushed as well. "It's...it's just fear." Anxiety tilted his head to the side. "Fear about-OH." He blushed even more. "Are you talking about...?" Roman nodded. "It's fine if you don't feel the same way, it would make sense if you didn't. It's just...you seem like a good person. Like...the whole villain thing isn't, y'know..." Virgil smirked a bit. "You're smarter than you look." He sighed. "That's the best way to keep everyone's guard up. Though, talking to you and doing all of..." he gestured to the half-painted wall. "... _t_ _his_ with you makes me think that...I overdo it." Roman exhaled softly. "Yeah. Everyone always talked about you like you were an oatmeal raisin cookie that was primarily composed of raisins." Virgil snorted in amusement. "A raisin oatmeal cookie?" Roman nodded in affirmation. "Yeah." He sighed softly. "Again, it's okay if you don't see me that way." Virgil shrugged. "Honestly, I don't even know anymore." Roman nodded. "If you need some time to think about it..." Virgil nodded. "Thanks, Flame." A smile pulled at Roman's lips. "My pleasure, Stormcloud."  
  
And just like that, they returned to painting, leaving them in a safe, thoughtful silence.


	5. Attempt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman's friends attempt a rescue, only to have a little surprise waiting for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry in advance if this transition is a bit jarring.

Logos paced in front of the empty home, his legs making metallic clanking sounds. He had messaged Pathos and the others and told them to be there in ten minutes sharp, and they were late! He let out a monotone exhale, his right eye and circuits glowing purple as he adjusted his glasses. He then stopped in his tracks as footsteps approached from his left. He turned his head, the purple turning to sunshine yellow as a man in a baby blue mask approached, a grey cape draped over his shoulders. He stopped in front of Logos as the cyborg crossed his arms. "You're late, Pathos," he spoke in a monotone voice. "Sorry," the man put his hands up. "I know how strict you get on deadlines, but I got caught in the ruins." He looked around at the glowing city, a small frown printed on his face. There was no silence in this place, only sound.  
  
Logos nodded, understanding. "You must find a route through those charred Abies, Pathos. You must be punctual regarding our meetings." Pathos nodded as footsteps approached from behind. The cyborg pivoted, adjusted his tie. "Ah, salutations Sleep, Kunzite." They both stopped in front of him. They would have made a pentagon if they had their fifth member, much to Logan's chagrin. And that wasn't just because they didn't make a perfect shape, though that did contribute to his discontent. They shifted to make a rectangle. "So, what's up Logos?" Sleep leaned against a wall, pressing his sunglasses up against his face as they tried to slip down, not letting them reveal his magenta eyes. A compartment opened in Logos' robotic arm, revealing a note. He took it out and showed it to the others as the compartment closed. It was written in messy lettering and signed with a little storm cloud symbol.  
  
_"Come to the lonesome alleyway and all shall be revealed."  
  
  
_They all took in the information. Logos' expression remained neutral as the yellow faded to navy blue, Sleep and Kunzite seemed focused while Pathos seemed hopeful. "Was that from Anxiety?" he asked curiously. Logos neatly folded the note and returned it to its compartment. "It appears to be so. I do not have his handwriting in my system, so I do not know if it was forged. The cryptic wording implies that the writer is expecting me to understand what they are talking about. I believe this is supposed to be some sort of ransom letter regarding Burning Prince." Pathos brought his hand to his mouth and Kunzite nervously adjusted the plastic gemstone in the shoulder of his costume, while Sleep narrowed his eyes. "How do you know this isn't a trap?" Logos focused on him, the blue turning to orange. "Because Anxiety is not the type of person to lie." Sleep's eyebrows creased downward in anger. "Since when have you been an expert at character analysis? And besides, you don't know how he would act. You don't know him!" A low growl was the only sign that the response was coming. "WHAT, AND YOU DO?!" His eye and circuitry flared blood red before fading back to navy blue. He cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses as he returned to his monotone. "Apologies, but this is the only clue we have for where he may be." Pathos looked at him, having been startled. "Y-yeah! And we should take any chance to figure out where he is, right?" Logos nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Burning Prince is a valuable asset to our team, not to mention that you have all developed emotional attachments to him." Sleep rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend you don't know anything about emotions, Logos. You and Pathos-" Logos pointed a finger at him. "FALSEHOOD!" He flared red again before sighing sharply. "That does not matter. What does matter is that we find out as much information regarding Prince's location as possible." Kunzite nodded in agreement, causing Sleep to roll his eyes. "Fine, but I'm not taking the blame if this ends up being a trap." Logos merely gestured for them to follow, expecting them to do so. Pathos walked in lockstep with him, with Kunzite behind him and sleep trailing behind.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When they reached the alleyway, Pathos took the lead in entering, with Logos, Kunzite, and Sleep trailing behind. They expected something of a gruesome sight when they made it there. They expected a bloodied and possibly unconscious Prince there beside a smirking Anxiety, ready to make some sort of deal. _They certainly didn't expect a man in a black bowler hat and yellow gloves to be leaning against the wall_ _._  
  
Paths looked at him, confused. He attempted to take a step forward, but Logos held him back with an arm. A screen on his robotic shoulder activated, displaying information.  
  
_"Name: Deceit  
Age: 31  
Description: A man with various snakelike features, including scales, a snakelike eye, and thermal vision.  
Ability: Manipulation, be it mental or physical, enhanced strength, enhanced speed."  
  
  
_Sleep narrowed his eyes. "I didn't know Anxiety had any friends." Deceit laughed. "Makes sense, he's never told anyone." His voice was dark and slippery, almost like oil or tar. It made Pathos shudder. The man smirked as footsteps sounded behind them. Someone in an orange-striped bodysuit blocked the exit. Kunzite gasped softly. "It's a trap!" Deceit chuckled as another man jumped down from the roof, landing a few inches away from Logos. He didn't step back. He only stared up at the mustached man that was grinning down maniacally at him. He removed a mace from his belt and hit Logos in the side, breaking the metal protecting many of the circuits commanding him and knocking him into the wall. He stood quickly, his hand changing into a laser cannon. Sleep took his sunglasses off, his eyes flaring magenta as he scowled. The villains seemed prepared, as they all put on sunglasses. Remy growled, his eyes flaring brightly. He put his sunglasses back on, not wanting to risk knocking out his friends.  
  
Pathos's hands glowed purple as he prepared to launch a blast of anxiety at his enemies. He was interrupted by a strong strike to the stomach, a sickening crack echoing through the alleyway. He fell to the ground, coughing up blood. Logos' eye and circuits flared the electric blue of fear as electricity danced across his metal plates and skin. "PATHOS!" his voice was staticky as if he were glitching. Deceit laughed maniacally as The mustached man hit Logan again, this time in his glowing eye. He let out a stifled gasp as he powered down as a safety precaution. Sleep looked around frantically for Kunzite, but he had been knocked unconscious by a Deceit. He growled, running at Deceit. The man with the mace hit him in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. Pathos crawled over to Logos, putting a hand on his chest before falling unconscious.  
  
Deceit laughed. "Good work." He put his fingers in his mouth, letting out a sharp whistle. A messenger falcon flew down from the roof of one of the buildings and to the group, landing on his arm. He wrote a quick message on a small piece of paper, rolling it up and putting it in a little compartment attached to the falcon's leg, sending it off with a little laugh. "See you soon, Virgil~"


	6. Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil receives a message and makes a decision.

Roman looked at the window as something hit against it. He pursed his lips at the messenger falcon, letting it in. It landed on his arm. He left the room. "Stormcloud?" Virgil came out of his painting room "What's u- whoa." The falcon flew over to him, landing on his arm. Virgil noticed the compartment and opened it, removing the note. As he read it, his entire demeanor changed. His eyes widened, then narrowed, his eyebrows arcing downward in anger as his irises flared a bright purple, the eye whites turning black as the falcon flew out the open window. Virgil crushed the note in his hand as a low guttural growl rumbled in his throat. The noise sounded like thunder, almost identical to the thunder that was beginning to rumble outside. Roman stepped back, unnerved as electricity danced across Anxiety's skin. _What had that note said_ _?_ Virgil looked at him. "I have to go. Stay out of the storm." With that, he marched out of the house, leaving Roman in confusion.  
  
Virgil read the note over and over as he traveled by cloud, the brewing storm providing cover as he kept the destructive lightning under control. "Damn it, damn it DAMN IT!" The words burst out of his throat, a deep, thundering echo accompanying each one as he gripped the package of supplies in his hand. He took a deep breath, controlling his anger and panic. _Graceful and powerful. Graceful and powerful._ The lightning calmed down as he drew it into himself, preparing to use it to land. He kept a lot stored. It would be useful for Logos. He peeked out of the clouds, searching for the battered team. He knew they could be pretty much anywhere, that team never had a base of operations.  
  
He squinted, gasping softly at the distant sight of weak sparks. That was Logos, it had to be. He drew lightning in, feeling the positively charged ground near Logos. He took a deep breath, sending the lightning out. Traveling at the speed of light, he landed beside the broken cyborg's body, the lightning entering his body. The circuits and eye glowed faintly as his body received the electricity. He opened his package, beginning to fix the cyborg. Soft clicks sounded as he tuned up the metal. He kept his voice silent, as he didn't want it to be recorded. When he was finished with the robot, he looked at him more fully. A chill ran down his spine as he saw the bloody, smeared handprint on the cyborg's chest, right over his heart. He followed the smear and saw that it came from Pathos, who had rolled away from Logos. He sighed shakily, beginning to help him as well. Thankfully, the electricity didn't seem to have affected him all that much. He treated his wounds as best he could while staying as quiet as he could. He would've taken them to his home and fixed them up there, but he preferred to not get an a** kicking from the people he had just helped.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He sighed as he finished his work, stepping back to look at the beaten heroes. He had set them up in a line, one beside another. He had even put Logos' hand in Pathos'. He figured they liked each other considering the handprint. It still made him shudder, and as such he had moved Logos' hand to cover it. The cyborg glowed softly, his human eye opening slowly. Virgil called his lightning, which struck him and drew him back into the clouds.  
  
The cyborg slowly sat up, feeling strangely energized. He looked at his hand, which was now marked with blood. He examined his chest, following the smear with his eyes to Pathos. His eye and circuits flared a mix of pink and sunflower yellow, the human part of his face blushing. He looked ahead at where that figure had been just moments ago. He then felt something contained within his arm compartment. He removed it, revealing that it was another note. He read it, becoming slightly perplexed. It was similar to the one he had gotten earlier, but the handwriting was shakier and had the faint smudge of pencil that could only be left by a left-handed person, which the original writer was not. He stared at the note, trying to decipher its meaning.  
  
_"You know, we're on each other's team._  
  
_~A"_


	7. Inhibitions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When inhibitions are lowered due to exhaustion, Virgil realizes his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for you, LynxMadrid and Tiger_Eye7429. Hope I made you happy. This was made in the middle of the night, so it's kinda short, but I hope you enjoy it regardless.

Virgil shut the door as he entered his house. Damn, saving the heroes was tiring. He knew he had done the right thing, but right now he just needed some rest. But...something was wrong. His house didn't have that peaceful silence it normally did. He could hear shuffling coming from Roman's room. He shuffled over to Roman's door and pulled it open. The hero was tossing and turning beneath the covers, mumbling in his sleep. "No...no, don't...don't hurt him...please..." Virgil rushed over, sitting on the edge of the bed. He put his gloved hands on his sides, electricity flowing into Roman and waking him up with a shout. He shot up, looking around frantically. Virgil put his hands on Roman's shoulders. "Hey, look at me. You're safe, okay?"  
  
Roman teared up, throwing his arms around him. Surprised, Virgil hugged him back. He had expected Roman to calm down, not get more delirious. He rubbed circles into the man's back, causing him to relax. He took shaking breaths, looking at Virgil. "They...they took you away and...they hurt you and-" Virgil put his hand over his mouth. "Hey, hey. I'm right here. I'm not dying tomorrow or anything like that, so let that train of thought crash. I'm here. I'm fine." Roman sighed as Virgil uncovered his mouth. "Y-yeah. You're right." He held onto him as Virgil stared into space. _Why was he doing this for him? Did he really care about him?_ It seemed so, otherwise, he wouldn't be doing this. If he cared about him, how deep did it even go? Allies? Friends? No, that wasn't quite right.  
  
Wait.  
  
Did he...?  
  
_N-...well...was the answer really no?_  
  
If it was, he wouldn't be doing all of this, right? He wouldn't have comforted him, painted with him, hugged him, _given him his damn cape.  
  
  
_He took his cape off, looking at it before wrapping it around Roman's shoulders. His breathing hitched in surprise before he cuddled into it, a grateful, surprised smile now on his face. "Thank you..." Virgil looked at him. "Heh, no problem, Princey." His small smirk then fell as realization flashed across his eyes.  
  
OH.  
  
Oh, he did, didn't he?  
  
Yep, he definitely did.  
  
As he processed this, his breathing stopped, then resumed. It got faster, and faster. Roman's face became that of concern. "Virgil? Are you alright?"  
  
Suddenly, all of Virgil's inhibitions failed. He leaned forward, connecting his lips with Roman's. The hero let out a small squeak of surprise before kissing back, wrapping his arms around him. It felt like two puzzle pieces had clicked together, two complete opposites had somehow mixed into a perfect concoction, like a major and a minor note had played to make a perfect, harmonious chord. Both men relaxed, holding onto each other like they never wanted to let go. A smirk pulled at Virgil's lips as a chuckle rumbled in his throat, prompting a squeak and a smirk from Roman. He liked the villain's style and he could definitely roll with it.  
  
Eventually, they had to break away to breathe, and neither wanted to, but it had to be done. They smiled at each other, holding the other in a gentle embrace. "So, can I say it now?" Roman asked sheepishly. Virgil chuckled. "Go on ahead, Princey." Roman grinned. "I love you, Stormcloud." Virgil heard a little twinge of anxiety, but it wasn't enough to set off his inhibitions again. He rubbed the back of his neck, that smirk quirking the corners of his lips.  
  
"Love you too, Princey."


	8. Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman makes an offer to Virgilious.

It had been about a week after the confession and Virgil had been thinking. If he loved Roman and he knew it, what should he do with him? Should he keep him there? He certainly didn't seem to mind it. But what would that mean for his friends? Would he never see them again until they came to rescue him? They had tried before and failed, but what were they like when they failed something like this? He knew they probably wouldn't give up after the first time, but how long would it be until they did? He sighed heavily, knowing what he had to do. He stood and walked to Roman's room, knocking gently. He heard a "come in" from inside and opened the door. "Come with me." Roman tilted his head to the side and stood, leaving his room. He was very surprised when Virgil led him outside. He looked at him, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Virgil looked at him. His expression had so many emotions: sadness, satisfaction, love, but overall a look of 'this must be done.' "What are you waiting for, dumba**? Go to your friends. You don't need to stay here anymore." Sadness seemed to flash across Roman's face. "Oh, yeah..." He chuckled, moving his hair out of his face. Virgil tilted his head to the side. "Something wrong?" Roman sighed. "I don't know, I guess I just...liked being with you. I love you and I don't wanna go." Vigil frowned a little. "You sure that isn't the Stockholm Syndrome talking?" Roman put his head in his hand. "I don't know, but...I do know that I'm gonna miss you." A sad smile pulled at Virgil's lips, one he allowed to do so. "I'm gonna miss you too, Princey." He began to walk back inside. Roman stared at him, panic creeping in. Was this it? Was this all there was? Taking out of his house and just leaving? In a split second, his impulses took over.  
  
  
"Wait!"  
  
  
Virgil stopped as he reached for the doorknob. He turned to see Roman reaching out for him, tears pricking his eyes. A pang of sadness echoed through his chest. "What?" Roman lowered his hand. "It's just...you know that song you were singing on my second day here?" Virgil's face shifted to that of confusion. "...yeah, what about it?" Roman took a breath. "Well, it says that we're on the team, right? Maybe we could be! Maybe..."  
  
_"We could be heroes, me and you..."_  
  
He stared at Virgil with pleading eyes which were wet with tears and reflecting the light of the moon. Virgil looked down slightly. "I don't know...none of your friends trust me. How would they accept me?" Roman's expression hardened with determination. "I'll make sure they trust you. If they try to hurt you, I'll...I'll-" Virgil held up a gloved hand to stop him. "So...you're gonna redeem me?" Roman nodded vigorously, his eyes wide with hope. Another small smile pulled at Virgil's lips. Roman's offer was incredibly kind and admittedly didn't sound half bad. If they failed, he would just have what he already did. They could still meet in secret right? God, that sounded so flippin' cheesy. But, it was still appealing.  
  
"Yeah, I guess we could be. Hide away in daylight, wait out the sun?" Roman gasped, running over to Virgil and tackling him in a hug. Virgil chuckled, wrapping his arms around him and patting him on the head before letting him go. "So, how are we gonna tell them?" Roman chuckled. "We just need to get somewhere in exactly 15 minutes."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Logos stood in front of the empty house, tapping his foot impatiently. The time of meeting was approaching and it seemed like everyone was going to be late once again! He rubbed his little secret compartment, opening and closing it. He gripped the note when he heard footsteps coming from...the rooftops? He looked up, his human eye widening as a smile pulled at his lips as his circuits and eyes turned a mix of sunflower yellow and leaf green. "Prince, you've returned." The hero jumped from the roof, his cape fluttering. Logos rolled his eyes. "Do not jump from rooftops, the g forces will compress your bones." Roman chuckled. "Nerdy as usual." Logan exhaled softly, adjusting his glasses. "At least you are punctual this time." Roman nodded as Logan took out his note. "When everyone arrives, we will begin the meeting. Perhaps you can participate this time." As he spoke, quick footsteps were heard off to the left. Before either of them could process them or turn to the source, Roman was engulfed in Patton's arms. "Ro!" Roman chuckled softly. "Hey, Padre." He gasped as more people joined the hug. "Sleep, Kunzite, hey!" He chuckled as he hugged all of them, with Pathos pulling Logos into the hug. The cyborg reluctantly hugged back.  
  
After a few minutes of oxytocin, they all let go and gathered in their pentagon formation. Logos cleared his throat. "The reason why I have called you here is a note that was placed in my compartment while we were unconscious." Roman's eyes widened. "While you were WHAT?!" Sleep sighed. "We got a clue to where you might be, but it ended up being a trap." Roman brought a hand to his mouth in shock as Logos cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. "Yes, well, someone, presumably Anxiety, placed a note in my compartment." He showed everyone. Sleep tilted his head to the side. "That's a line from Lorde's Team." Roman nodded, pursing his lips to hold back the smile spreading across his face. Pathos looked at him. "What is it?" Roman looked at him. "Well, from what happened while I was gone, I'd say it was meant to be literal." Sleep raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Anxiety's on our team? Yeah, that's rich." Roman held a hand up. "Just, hear me out! When I was with Anxiety, I thought he would be like you all told me he would be: ruthless and coldhearted. Well, he wasn't. Don't get me wrong, he was a little cold, but he never hurt me. Hell, my first interaction with him ended with f**king cuddling!" Sleep's eyes widened in surprise. Roman nodded. He told them of all that had happened, keeping track of all their expressions. Sleep was skeptical, Kunzite and Logos seemed thoughtful, while Pathos was struggling to hold back a smile. When Roman finished, the emotional man turned to the others. "He's not lying, I can feel it. He's scared, but there's desperation too. I could feel residual happiness and love from his memories, too. He's not lying about what happened."  
  
Roman nodded, relief flooding him. "Yeah, and that's why..." Anxiety jumped down from the roof, to the surprise of everyone. "H-hey..." He cowered a little under their glares, especially Sleep's. Roman stood between Anxiety and the group. "He told me what he really did, and I'll be honest, I believe him. None of you ever talked about what he _did_ , only what he _could_ do. I think, and I'm just guessing here, he was just testing his powers and you all were either lying or overreacting." He saw shame enter Patton and Kunzite's faces as Logos adjusted his glasses apprehensively, his eye and circuits changing to a mix of jade green and purple. "Well, we were preparing for a worst case scenario." Roman's expression hardened. "If it was that, you know what you could've done? You could've found him and tried to teach him how to use his powers! But noooooooo, you decided to react by basically building a bomb shelter in your collective backyard!" He exhaled sharply, looking at Anxiety. "Accept him or not, I'm staying by his side. If you don't like that, fine, but I'm not changing my mind."  
  
His words left the group in a state of shocked silence. They all looked at each other, then Roman and Anxiety. After a few moments, Pathos rubbed his arm, looking down slightly, while Sleep turned away, crossing his arms and lifting his chin. Patton took a deep breath and approached Anxiety. "Hey, don't worry about him. He's not really one to trust new people." Anxiety looked a little surprised that Pathos had actually been nice to him, though he was the one he had expecting to treat him with kindness. He chuckled awkwardly, moving a strand of hair out of Roman's face. "You're telling _me_ about that? I practically live on top of city limits because I don't want to interact with people." Patton giggled a little bit, grinning. Anxiety looked at everyone else. Kunzite was smiling gently at him, Logos looked thoughtful, while Sleep still had his back turned. The cyborg cleared his throat. "I believe I may have misjudged you. I will give you a chance in this group. This does not you have been fully brought in, this is only preliminary. You will need to prove yourself if you wish to be a member of this group." Anxiety nodded. "Got it, Speks." He couldn't contain his smile. He had finally been accepted by someone _good_. Granted it wasn't full on acceptance, but something's better than nothing, right?


	9. Nightmare (Epilogue)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little check in on a new friend.

Damian Storm Princewood shot up in his bed with a shout. He had had a horrible dream. It was of testing, experimentation, a child named Blu, and a man named Sade. He shuddered upon recalling that name. Sade had done horrible things to him and Blu. The worst part? No one else knew and they all thought he was responsible. And that's not even getting started on the experimentation. He began to cry as his mind called the dream back, the one where he-  
  
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a soft thunk. He looked up at the sound, his breath hitching at the sight of _the dark figure climbing into his room through his window._ He backed away, putting his arms up as he squeezed his eyes shut. A soft voice cut through the sound of panicked breaths. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you." He opened his eyes. A comforting silence had settled in the room, seemingly triggered by the man's voice. He squinted, then gasped softly. Standing before him was Anxiety, the famous villain turned hero. He inched closer, the hero sitting down on the edge of the bed. "W-why are you here...?" The man smiled softly, hitting his leg as an invite for the child to sit in his lap. Damian moved into Anxiety's lap as the hero spoke. "One of your dads told me you get nightmares. Virgil, I think." Damian gasped softly. "You know Dad...?" Anxiety nodded, letting a safe silence settle over the area.  
  
After several moments of calming silence, Damian's voice cut through. "Do you know Father too...?" his voice was only a whisper. Anxiety nodded. "Yeah, I know Roman. A real dork that dude." Damian giggled a little bit. "Yeah...he always talks about theatre and teaches me everything about it...Disney too..." Anxiety chuckled and nodded. "Don't even get him started on shows he's gone to based on Disney movies." Damian nodded. "He goes nuts..." Damian snuggled against the hero, who wrapped him up in a blanket. The young boy yawned softly. "Dad's cool too...he always talks about these bands and stuff...it's fun to watch him and Father freaking out about The Nightmare Before Christmas..." Anxiety chuckled softly, laying him down in his bed and tucking him in.  
  
After a moment of silence, Damian reached out to Anxiety. "Are you leaving...?" The hero smiled gently as he shook his head. "Nope. I'm protecting you from your nightmares." Damian gasped. "You can do that...?" Anxiety nodded in affirmation. "Yep. And I'll be sure to be right here while I do that. Sound good?" Damian nodded, yawning. He closed his eyes as Anxiety rubbed his arm gently, soothing him into a gentle sleep and a safe silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The two who know what the first and middle names are referencing are amazing friends and absolute legends. You guys have both supported me in my endeavors and are wonderful to be around. Love and appreciate you both.


End file.
